Copps Coliseum
Encyclopedia
Copps Coliseum is a sports and entertainment arena, on the corner of Bay Street North
and York Boulevard
, in Hamilton, Ontario
. Depending on event, the Copps Coliseum has a capacity of up to 19,000.
It is named after the former Hamilton mayor, Victor K. Copps.
Saturday Night Live
has used an exterior of the arena in many ESPN Classic
sketches.
The scoreboard clock was originally from the Winnipeg Arena
, purchased for $214,000. Although it was not brand new, the scoreboard clock met the needs of Copps Coliseum.
While Copps Coliseum was built in the hope that Hamilton could draw an NHL
franchise, for the past 12 seasons, beginning in October 1996, Copps Coliseum has been home to the Hamilton Bulldogs
of the American Hockey League
. The Bulldogs, the top affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers (1996–2002) and the Montreal Canadiens (2002–present) have brought over 2 million fans to Copps Coliseum, and are the longest serving pro hockey team in Southern Ontario, aside from the Toronto Maple Leafs
. The Bulldogs are the sole primary tenant in the facility. On June 7, 2007, the Hamilton Bulldogs won their first Calder Cup Championship in franchise history at home in Copps Coliseum by defeating the Hershey Bears.
In 1986
, the World Junior Hockey Championships were held in Southern Ontario
, with Copps Coliseum used as the primary venue. In the decisive game, the Soviet Union defeated Canada
4-1.
In 1987
, the arena was the primary host for the Canada Cup
ice hockey
tournament and was the site of Mario Lemieux
's famous goal that beat the Soviets 6-5 in the decisive game. It hosted a number of games in the Canada Cup again in 1991
when Canada defeated USA in the finals.
On January 24, 1988, the arena hosted the World Wrestling Federation's
first ever Royal Rumble
. The Rumble was won by "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
.
In 1990
, Copps Coliseum hosted the Memorial Cup
. The tournament that year recorded the highest attendance for any single Memorial Cup game, on May 13, 1990 at 17,383 spectators. In that same championship game, the Oshawa Generals
defeated the Kitchener Rangers
by a score of 4 to 3 in double overtime on a goal by Bill Armstrong.
Though the Coliseum has never been able to attract a full-time NHL tenant, it did host a number of regular-season neutral-site games in 1992–93 and 1993–94. Most of these games featured either the nearby Toronto Maple Leafs
or Buffalo Sabres
.
In 1994
, the Coliseum was one of the homes to the FIBA World Basketball Championships, along with Maple Leaf Gardens
and SkyDome. On September 27, 1998, the arena hosted another WWF event called Breakdown: In Your House
.
In 2007, from March 3 to March 11, Copps Coliseum hosted the Tim Hortons Brier
, the annual Canadian men's curling
championship. The coliseum will be hosting the West 49 Canadian Open, from September 20 to October 1.
In 2007, Waterloo billionaire Jim Balsillie
, co-CEO of Research in Motion
, made an offer to purchase the Nashville Predators
for $220 Million US. His intention was to move the team to Hamilton and either use Copps Coliseum as a temporary home while a new state-of-the-art arena could be built, or to renovate Copps to bring it up to modern NHL standards. The bid was ultimately unsuccessful.
In 2008, it was announced that the Golden Horseshoe would be bidding for the 2015 Pan-Am Games, which would mean the venue would likely be part of the venue plan for the Games. On February 18, 2009, Copps Coliseum was identified as the proposed site for the volleyball competition for the Games.
In the spring of 2009, NHL franchise Phoenix Coyotes
filed bankruptcy
and Jim Balsillie
immediately offered a rumoured $212.5 Million US, while stating he wanted to move the franchise to Southwestern Ontario. Balsillie has applied for a lease option which, should the relocation succeed, would invoke a 20-year lease for the team to play at Copps Coliseum.
On May 9, 2009, the Toronto Star
, Hamilton Spectator and others reported that that Hamilton mayor Fred Eisenberger
was to meet with a second group interested in securing a lease. The group, led by Vancouver
businessmen Tom Gaglardi
and Nelson Skalbania
, was interested in securing an interest in the Atlanta Thrashers
and moving them to the Coliseum for the 2010-11 NHL season.
Also on May 9, 2009, the Thrasher's VP and GM Don Waddell
had this to say to the AJC:
"There is no truth to it... We are not a movable franchise. I have talked to our owners, and no one has had contact with any group.” He also had this to say to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN
: "I have spoken to our owners again today on this subject," said Waddell. "The Atlanta Thrashers hockey club is a vital part of the Atlanta area. We also own the Atlanta Hawks
and have controlling interest in a 99 year lease with Philips Arena. Our franchise is not available to be moved, we will continue to be part of this community for many many years." Although that statement was not entirely true as two years later, the Thrashers eventually relocated to Winnipeg
, Manitoba
after the Atlanta owners failed to find a local buyer for the franchise when they made to decision to sell the club.
On May 13, 2009 The Canadian Press reported on TSN
.ca that Balsillie won the exclusive rights to Hamilton's Copps Coliseum until November after a unanimous vote by Hamilton city council. On May 29, 2009, Balsillie unveiled his plans to renovate the Coliseum into a state-of-the-art facility in anticipation of a NHL franchise coming to Hamilton. It's hard to say when these renovations will come to fruition since Balsillie ultimately lost his bid to buy the Coyotes.
Bay Street (Hamilton)
Bay Street is a Lower City arterial road in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It starts at Inglewood Drive, just South of Aberdeen Avenue, as a collector road with only two lanes, then eventually becomes a six lane thoroughfare at its peak. Bay Street also passes through Downtown Hamilton, where many...
and York Boulevard
York Boulevard (Hamilton, Ontario)
York Boulevard is a Lower City arterial road in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Formerly known as Highway 2 and Highway 6,starts off in Burlington, Ontario at Plains Road West as a two-way arterial road that wraps around and over the Hamilton Harbour and enters the city of Hamilton in the West-end past...
, in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
. Depending on event, the Copps Coliseum has a capacity of up to 19,000.
It is named after the former Hamilton mayor, Victor K. Copps.
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
has used an exterior of the arena in many ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic is a sports channel that features reruns of famous sporting events, sports documentaries, and sports themed movies. Such programs includes biographies of famous sports figures or a rerun of a famous World Series or Super Bowl, often with added commentary on the event...
sketches.
History
It was started at 1983 and was completed in 1985 at a cost of $33.5 million, and an additional $2.3 million for a parking garage. The construction was overseen by local Hamiltonian, Joseph Pigott.The scoreboard clock was originally from the Winnipeg Arena
Winnipeg Arena
Winnipeg Arena was an indoor arena located at 1430 Maroons Road in Winnipeg, Manitoba, across the street from Canad Inns Stadium and just north of Polo Park.Built in 1955, it was owned by community-owned Winnipeg Enterprises Corporation...
, purchased for $214,000. Although it was not brand new, the scoreboard clock met the needs of Copps Coliseum.
While Copps Coliseum was built in the hope that Hamilton could draw an NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
franchise, for the past 12 seasons, beginning in October 1996, Copps Coliseum has been home to the Hamilton Bulldogs
Hamilton Bulldogs
The Hamilton Bulldogs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, at Copps Coliseum, nicknamed 'The Dog Pound'. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
. The Bulldogs, the top affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers (1996–2002) and the Montreal Canadiens (2002–present) have brought over 2 million fans to Copps Coliseum, and are the longest serving pro hockey team in Southern Ontario, aside from the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. The Bulldogs are the sole primary tenant in the facility. On June 7, 2007, the Hamilton Bulldogs won their first Calder Cup Championship in franchise history at home in Copps Coliseum by defeating the Hershey Bears.
In 1986
1986 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1986 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 10th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held from December 26, 1985, until January 4, 1986. It was held mainly in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The Soviet Union won the gold medal, its seventh championship, Canada...
, the World Junior Hockey Championships were held in Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...
, with Copps Coliseum used as the primary venue. In the decisive game, the Soviet Union defeated Canada
Canada national junior hockey team
The Canadian men's national under 20 ice hockey team is the national under-20 ice hockey team in Canada. The team represents Canada at the International Ice Hockey Federation's World Junior Hockey Championship, held annually every December and January...
4-1.
In 1987
1987 Canada Cup
The 1987 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament held from August 28 to September 15, 1987. The finals took place in Montreal on September 11 and Hamilton, Ontario, on September 13 and September 15, and were won by Team Canada....
, the arena was the primary host for the Canada Cup
Canada Cup (ice hockey)
The Canada Cup was an invitational international ice hockey tournament held on five occasions between 1976 and 1991. The tournament was created to meet demand for a true world championship that allowed the best players from participating nations to compete regardless of their status as professional...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
tournament and was the site of Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
's famous goal that beat the Soviets 6-5 in the decisive game. It hosted a number of games in the Canada Cup again in 1991
1991 Canada Cup
The 1991 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played in September 1991. The finals took place in Montreal on September 14 and Hamilton, Ontario on September 16, and were won by Canada. The Canadians defeated the USA in a two game sweep, to win the fifth and final Canada...
when Canada defeated USA in the finals.
On January 24, 1988, the arena hosted the World Wrestling Federation's
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
first ever Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced every January by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. The event was created in 1988, with its inaugural event taking place on January 24, 1988 at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario...
. The Rumble was won by "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
Jim Duggan
James Edward Duggan , better known by his ring name "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment in the 1980s, when it was known as World Wrestling Federation , and World Championship Wrestling...
.
In 1990
1990 Memorial Cup
The 1990 Memorial Cup occurred May 5-May 13 at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario. Participating teams were the Ontario Hockey League champion Oshawa Generals and runner-up Kitchener Rangers, as well as the winners of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Western Hockey League which were...
, Copps Coliseum hosted the Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
. The tournament that year recorded the highest attendance for any single Memorial Cup game, on May 13, 1990 at 17,383 spectators. In that same championship game, the Oshawa Generals
Oshawa Generals
The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. The Generals are one of the most successful franchises in Canadian Hockey League...
defeated the Kitchener Rangers
Kitchener Rangers
The Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that have called Kitchener, Ontario, Canada their home since 1963. The Rangers are a publicly owned hockey team, governed by a 40-person Board of Directors made up of season ticket subscribers. The Rangers hosted...
by a score of 4 to 3 in double overtime on a goal by Bill Armstrong.
Though the Coliseum has never been able to attract a full-time NHL tenant, it did host a number of regular-season neutral-site games in 1992–93 and 1993–94. Most of these games featured either the nearby Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
or Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
.
In 1994
1994 FIBA World Championship
The 1994 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Canada from August 4 to August 14, 1994. The tournament was held at SkyDome and Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto as well as at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton...
, the Coliseum was one of the homes to the FIBA World Basketball Championships, along with Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
and SkyDome. On September 27, 1998, the arena hosted another WWF event called Breakdown: In Your House
Breakdown: In Your House
Breakdown: In Your House was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, under the In Your House name, produced by the World Wrestling Federation...
.
In 2007, from March 3 to March 11, Copps Coliseum hosted the Tim Hortons Brier
Tim Hortons Brier
The Tim Hortons Brier, or simply the Brier, is the annual Canadian men's curling championship, sanctioned by the Canadian Curling Association . The current event name refers to its main sponsor, the Tim Hortons coffee and doughnut shop chain.The Brier has been held since 1927, traditionally during...
, the annual Canadian men's curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
championship. The coliseum will be hosting the West 49 Canadian Open, from September 20 to October 1.
In 2007, Waterloo billionaire Jim Balsillie
Jim Balsillie
James Laurence "Jim" Balsillie is a Canadian businessman and co-CEO of the Canadian company Research In Motion. He is a member of the Trilateral Commission, a private political organization...
, co-CEO of Research in Motion
Research In Motion
Research In Motion Limited or RIM is a Canadian multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada that designs, manufactures and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market...
, made an offer to purchase the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
for $220 Million US. His intention was to move the team to Hamilton and either use Copps Coliseum as a temporary home while a new state-of-the-art arena could be built, or to renovate Copps to bring it up to modern NHL standards. The bid was ultimately unsuccessful.
In 2008, it was announced that the Golden Horseshoe would be bidding for the 2015 Pan-Am Games, which would mean the venue would likely be part of the venue plan for the Games. On February 18, 2009, Copps Coliseum was identified as the proposed site for the volleyball competition for the Games.
In the spring of 2009, NHL franchise Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
filed bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
and Jim Balsillie
Jim Balsillie
James Laurence "Jim" Balsillie is a Canadian businessman and co-CEO of the Canadian company Research In Motion. He is a member of the Trilateral Commission, a private political organization...
immediately offered a rumoured $212.5 Million US, while stating he wanted to move the franchise to Southwestern Ontario. Balsillie has applied for a lease option which, should the relocation succeed, would invoke a 20-year lease for the team to play at Copps Coliseum.
On May 9, 2009, the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
, Hamilton Spectator and others reported that that Hamilton mayor Fred Eisenberger
Fred Eisenberger
Fred Eisenberger is a Canadian politician. He is a former mayor of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, having been elected to the position on November 13, 2006. The margin of victory over incumbent Larry Di Ianni was a mere 452 votes in one of the closest races in Hamilton's history...
was to meet with a second group interested in securing a lease. The group, led by Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
businessmen Tom Gaglardi
Tom Gaglardi
R. Thomas Gaglardi , is a Canadian Business Executive, and owner of the Dallas Stars, of the National Hockey League.-Career:Gaglardi is president of Northland Properties Corporation, which he and his family own...
and Nelson Skalbania
Nelson Skalbania
Nelson M. Skalbania is a Canadian businessman from Vancouver, British Columbia best known for signing a 17-year-old Wayne Gretzky to the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association....
, was interested in securing an interest in the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
and moving them to the Coliseum for the 2010-11 NHL season.
Also on May 9, 2009, the Thrasher's VP and GM Don Waddell
Don Waddell
Donald Waddell is the former, and last President of the Atlanta Thrashers and a former ice hockey defenseman.-Playing career:...
had this to say to the AJC:
"There is no truth to it... We are not a movable franchise. I have talked to our owners, and no one has had contact with any group.” He also had this to say to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
: "I have spoken to our owners again today on this subject," said Waddell. "The Atlanta Thrashers hockey club is a vital part of the Atlanta area. We also own the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
and have controlling interest in a 99 year lease with Philips Arena. Our franchise is not available to be moved, we will continue to be part of this community for many many years." Although that statement was not entirely true as two years later, the Thrashers eventually relocated to Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
after the Atlanta owners failed to find a local buyer for the franchise when they made to decision to sell the club.
On May 13, 2009 The Canadian Press reported on TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
.ca that Balsillie won the exclusive rights to Hamilton's Copps Coliseum until November after a unanimous vote by Hamilton city council. On May 29, 2009, Balsillie unveiled his plans to renovate the Coliseum into a state-of-the-art facility in anticipation of a NHL franchise coming to Hamilton. It's hard to say when these renovations will come to fruition since Balsillie ultimately lost his bid to buy the Coyotes.